Our Research Portfolio
Research by MPSI faculty focuses on understanding how early exposure to certain risk and protective factors affect the life-long development of child and family health and adaptive psychological, social and educational functioning. This research studies the antecedents, mechanisms and impact of factors that influence urban families and child health and development – from before birth, through adolescence, to a transition to successful adulthood.
MPSI research explores risk factors such as prenatal exposure to drugs, alcohol or environmental toxins, risky parental behavior or disease, and poor pregnancy outcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight or hypoxia. Other key risk factors are child maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse, poverty, foster care, poor parenting, substance abuse, and family or community violence exposure, among others. Related research assesses the role of protective factors such as secure attachment and friendships, sound parenting, social support, or environmental enrichment.
The outcomes assessed in this research in infants, children and adolescents – and their caregivers – include measures of growth and health, language development, behavioral and cognitive function, emotional and social maturation, school performance, as well as physiological adaptation and central nervous system functioning.
The basic research by MPSI faculty includes “translational” aspects, where the results are used to devise and assess the effectiveness of potential interventions for treatment, prevention or education to establish evidence-based “best practices” that can be implemented by educators, clinicians, and social service agencies to ameliorate the negative impact of challenging environments and experiences on child development and family functioning.
More information about MPSI faculty and their current research can be found at MPSI Faculty.
MPSI is part of the Wayne State University Division of Research.